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Sahuarita council approves Ripple Fiber right-of-way agreement
Summary
The Town of Sahuarita approved a wired telecommunications license and right-of-way use agreement with Ripple Fiber Arizona LLC after a presentation on the company's planned fiber build, construction methods and community engagement. Council approved the agreement by voice vote; no individual vote counts were recorded in the meeting minutes.
The Town of Sahuarita on Nov. 1 approved a wired telecommunications license and right-of-way use agreement with Ripple Fiber Arizona LLC, allowing the company to construct a fiber-optic network in town.
Ripple Fiber's Director of Government Affairs, Noelle Delala, told the council the company plans primarily to bore in the softscape within rights of way, avoid frequent rework by designing for scalability, and connect customers progressively as neighborhoods are completed. "We're here to stay, not like some of the other companies who will come in and build out a construction project and leave town," Delala said. She described rates the company offers and said some plans include "price for life" guarantees.
Delala said the company will work closely with homeowners associations, perform preconstruction locates, provide a restoration team to repair disturbed landscaping and maintain an online ticketing and local response system for resident concerns. She described construction sequencing as sector-based, with the company permitting and building in one area at a time and bringing customers online as each area is completed.
Council members asked about timeline, coordination with other providers and how customers could be connected during phased construction. Ripple Fiber representatives said construction typically takes about two years for a full build, that customers can be connected as their sector is completed, and that the company monitors other providers'builds to avoid unnecessary rework.
A council member moved to approve the wired telecommunications license and right-of-way use agreement; another seconded, and by voice vote the motion carried. The agreement was presented as agenda item 9A.
The council and Ripple Fiber did not provide specific build-start dates or a detailed schedule in the meeting; officials said permitting and engineering would determine the start date. The company said it has engaged with the local chamber of commerce and plans HOA outreach events prior to construction.
